• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.599-614
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• 2016

Urban centers have been recognized as problem regions so far. However, urban centers of metropolises take a new aspect in recent years as much as the negative influence of gentrification becomes a social issue. This paper analyzes the declining trend of urban centers in six metropolises - Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju and Daejun from 1995 to 2010. As results of analysis, it is identified that the urban centers' shrinkage got moderated recently in the metropolises, even though their resurgence is not evident. Especially it is difficult to say longer that Jongro-Gu and Jung-Gu of Seoul are declining urban centers. Easing shrinkage is most outstanding in Jung-Gu, Daegu among local metropolises. Nevertheless, a serious obstacle such as high price of housing is in the process of obvious resurgence of urban center differently from the United States, Europe and Japan.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.381-390
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between job-stress and temporomandibular joint(TMJ) disorder in dental hygienists. This study will provide the basic data to improve the working condition and the quality of life. Methods : The subjects were 229 dental hygienists at general hospitals in Seoul, Korea. A self-reported questionnaire was filled out from May 20 to June 20, 2013. The questionnaire consisted of 4 questions of demographic features, 11 questions for TMJ symptoms and 5 questions for job stress. The data were analyzed by frequency analysis, chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test and multiple job-stress logistic regression analysis using SPSS version 21.0. Results : During the last six months, 53.3%(122 persons) of the dental hygienists had TMJ disorder symptoms including joint noise(40.6%, 93 persons), TMJ pain(31.4%, 71 persons) and limitation of TMJ(21.8%, 50 persons). Job-stress is divided into two ranges including high stress group(4.3-5.0 points) and low stress group(0.0-3.6 points) in TMJ pain and joint noise(p<0.05). TMJ pain was closely related to low back pain, pelvis pain and tension headache arising from the uncomfortable working posture. Conclusions : It is necessary to prevent the job stress in the dental hygienists by the improvement of working condition, emotional stability, and frequent postural change.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.132-144
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• 2013

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the medical expense change and influencing factors after introducing longterm care insurance system. The study period was 2 years before and after introduction of the system. Methods: We analyzed data collected from two divided group lived in Incheon. Four hundred and eighty-five elderly who received long-term care wage for one year were selected for experimental group. For control group, 1,940 elderly were selected by gender and age stratified random sampling. Difference-In-difference analyses was used for evaluating policy effectiveness. Also multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors associated with total medical expenditures. The control variables were demographic variables, economic status, diseases, and medical examination variables. Results: Difference-in-difference analyses showed that total average medical expenses among long-term patients has decreased by 61.85%. Of these, the hospitalization expenses have decreased by 91.63% and the drug expenses have increased by 31.85%. Multiple regression analyses results showed that total average medical expenses among long-term patients have significantly decreased by 46.5% after introducing the long-term care insurance. The hospitalization expenses have significantly decreased by 148.5%, whereas the drug expenses have increased by 53.6%. And outpatient expenses have increased by 10.4%, but the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The results showed that total medical expenses and hospitalization expenses have decreased after introducing the long-term care insurance. These results could support the opinion that the health insurance spending among long-term patients will be reduced gradually by long-term care insurance through changing medical demand.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.465-473
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between worker's health belief in health promotion programs and their demographic, health, and health behavior characteristics. Methods: This study used survey data from 262 small- and large-scale workplaces. The study included 1149 male and female workers who completed the questionnaires. Results: The health belief score increased significantly with age and length of service. Male, married, shift-work, and white-collar workers showed a significantly higher health belief score than female, single, non-shift-work, and blue-collar ones. Workers with disease history, hypertension, or obesity had a significantly higher health belief score. Regular exercise was significantly correlated with the health belief score. When all the variables were included in the model, the health belief score was significantly higher in workers who were married, had a longer length of service, worked in the sales department, were diagnosed with hypertension, exercised regularly, and felt fatigue. Conclusion: The results showed that workplace intervention programs meet more the needs of workers who have a higher health belief score. In addition, given that healthier life style was related to a higher health belief score, further research is required to find how to change health behavior in workers.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.1-23
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• 1999

The purpose of this paper is to survey the current status of service utilization in oriental medicine, to identify the determinants of consumers' decision in the service utilization, and then suggest policy implications for promoting the consumers' utilization. A multiple regression model was adopted to analyze the factors that influence consumer's decision in purchasing the oriental medical services. Data used in this research relied on National Survey Data conducted by Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs, and sampling survey. The results could be summarized as follows.: 1. the number of visits to oriental medical institutions has shown an overall increase during the last decade since the inception of health insurance for oriental medical services. It still, however, revealed a relatively iow figure to western medical services. 2. the main factors, after controlling demographic variables, that determine consumers' selection between oriental medical services and western medical services are considered to be price, belief in effectiveness of services, waiting time for service. Implications for policy recommendation include 1. to reduce a barrier to service utilization by discounting dramatically the price of herb medicine, which is believed to be crucial in expanding market share, 2. to encourage consumer's belief in clinical effectiveness through a specialization in competitive services compared with wertern medicine, 3. to keep the affirmative image among consumers alive through an active participation of oriental medical doctors in community activities, 4 to change the health care system in favor of oriental medicine in the long run.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.146-153
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• 2014

This study looks at the impact of psychological and physical factors of the working conditions on the health of workers depending on whether technology is used by such workers. The data used for the study is the third work environment survey. Out of 50,032 respondents, a total of 29,711 paid workers were used as analysis subjects. Although it was anticipated that the use of technology was a factor that hindered job autonomy and teamwork autonomy. However, the analysis results showed low levels of job autonomy and teamwork autonomy in the group that did not use technology. The study assumes a regression analysis model about work environment and work organizational practices of workspaces that have an impact on musculoskeletal complaints, stress symptoms and level of work satisfaction by controlling the social demographic variable that represents the level of individual sensitivity. As a result of the study, ergonomic risk had a significant effect on both groups that did or did not use technology with respect to stress symptoms, musculoskeletal complaints and level of work satisfaction. In particular, as workspace practices and work environment had an effect on the development of musculoskeletal complaints in the group that used machines, there is a need to improve such situation. The autonomous team work or level of job autonomy within the group that used technology may act as a risk factor to the health and welfare of workers. However, because it may also act as a buffer factor, there is a need for a change to reduce stress symptoms and increase the level of work satisfaction by improving autonomous team work and the level of job autonomy.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.399-417
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• 1999

Viewers have always switched channels and they have selected by turning away from the TV and returning to the set when the content seemed more amusing. Also, people usually watch television with their family members and thus the experience of viewing is embedded uniquely in ongoing processes of family interaction. In other words, people develop patterns and habits through the act of viewing together. As viewing with family members is the most frequent mode of media exposure, the context of family viewing needs to be thoroughly examined if we are to understand the family's use of television. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamic nature of television viewing behavior. With the people meter's second-by-second viewing information, first we analyze who, when, and why viewers change channels. The ensuing reduction of advertising impact due to zapping will be investigated as well. Then the focus will be shifted to the dynamic interaction of coviewing among family members. In order to further explore the in-depth nature of television viewing, actual viewing information should be cross-analyzed with respect to both demographic and psychographic variables. In this study we surveyed individual characteristics such as television watching patterns, program type preference, attitude toward commercials, channel control intensity, and personalities. We have demonstrated that the results of an meticulus analysis of survey data provide valuable insights into the dynamics of television viewing among family members.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.51-66
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• 2016

This study examines a degree of city decline and confirms a existence of inertia in the city decline process, and shows how to set the policy directions of cities as its situation. With understanding these things, we are carefully able to anticipate the future direction of cities'growth or decline. This study analyzes cross-tabulations with the comprehensive decline index, and the demographic-social index, industrial-economical index, physical-environmental index to compose the comprehensive decline index in during 2005~2010. We can confirm the existence of complexity and inertia of city decline. Some cities are likely to have adhesion of decline, and these cities should convert planning tools and concept of past growth era to new one to be used in changed environment in new era. Redefining a perspective for city decline, proper managing a change of physical environment from city decline, and flexible thinking would be requested as countermeasures with adjusting spatial policy framework.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.405-410
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• 1987

Study population was described at the previously published paper(23). Body Mass Index of 10751, 5th grade students from nation-wide were calculated . From this distribution lowest 10% and highest 10% were selected as group 1 and group 5, respectively. In this paper, between group 1 and group 5 anthropometric data, demographic data and other health related factors were compared. 1) Using Japanese criteria for obesity, the prevalence for obesity at 5 th grade was 5.8% at nation wide and 7.8% at urban area. 2) The proportion of students who skipped breakfasts everyday was 5.8% of whole student surveyed and 8.4% for group 5. The proportion of students who took medicine for health was 29.4% for group and 22.5% for group 5. 3) The students who are at group 5 had larger height and weight velocity than other groups. Group 5 had large increase of BMI by increasing grade, but group 1 had almost no change. 4) In physical fitness examination, group 3 who mean BMI was in the highest class than other groups 5 was in low class.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.1091-1099
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to estimate the change of prevalence rate of obesity, also to know the relevant factors for 10 years in korean adults, which targets on the 5,420(4,556 men and 864 women) people who had undergone one biennial medical health check-up through the National Health Insurance Corporation from 1997 to 2007. As a results, the prevalence rate of obesity increased 11.0% point from 20.9% in the initial year(1997) to 31.9% in the final year(2007) for the recent decades and this is related to the socio-demographic characteristics, health-related, and eating habits.